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The Meaning in Life

Seeking a life that matters.

Beauty
Meaning, One Moment at a Time

Michael F Steger Ph.D. on November 12, 2020

Does life seem too serious, heavy, and big to deal with? A focus on the small moments can help meaning bloom.

Does life seem too serious, heavy, and big to deal with? A focus on the small moments can help meaning bloom.

Anxiety
What Is It Like on a University Campus in 2020?

Michael F Steger Ph.D. on September 1, 2020

What is it like on a university campus during the COVID pandemic? Students work to manage their anxiety and overwhelm, and gift us hope.

What is it like on a university campus during the COVID pandemic? Students work to manage their anxiety and overwhelm, and gift us hope.

Career
Meaningful Work Among Nurses

Michael F Steger Ph.D. on May 9, 2020

For National Nurses Week, let's look at how meaningful working as a nurse is, and why.

For National Nurses Week, let's look at how meaningful working as a nurse is, and why.

Coronavirus Disease 2019
The Pandemic From a Meaning and Purpose Perspective: A Reset

Michael F Steger Ph.D. on April 20, 2020

COVID-19 attacks our meaning system like it attacks our immune system. Here's how to use your meaning system to make meaning during and after the pandemic.

COVID-19 attacks our meaning system like it attacks our immune system. Here's how to use your meaning system to make meaning during and after the pandemic.

Friends
The Bad from the Good

Michael F Steger Ph.D. on June 8, 2010

A comment from a reader of my previous column on Philippe Petit, the 'Man on Wire,' reminded me that sometimes, we can draw Bad from the Good.

A comment from a reader of my previous column on Philippe Petit, the 'Man on Wire,' reminded me that sometimes, we can draw Bad from the Good.

Therapy
How Deep is the Divide between Therapy and Science?

Michael F Steger Ph.D. on October 9, 2009

Is there a Mackenzie Phillips-sized family secret lurking in the heart of psychology? I take a look at the often-profound disagreement over how can our profession best serve our clients.

Is there a Mackenzie Phillips-sized family secret lurking in the heart of psychology? I take a look at the often-profound disagreement over how can our profession best serve our clients.

Parenting
Parenthood and the Intentional Life

Michael F Steger Ph.D. on September 14, 2009

With kids heading back to school, parents can be stretched thin. So it's time to get back to the basics with three strategies for better parenting.

With kids heading back to school, parents can be stretched thin. So it's time to get back to the basics with three strategies for better parenting.

Health
What the Health?!?

Michael F Steger Ph.D. on August 21, 2009

Assault rifles, death panels, and the end of democracy. No, it's not Invaders from Mars, it's the health care debate. Here's a look at some of the reasons why this debate has gotten so out of control.

Assault rifles, death panels, and the end of democracy. No, it's not Invaders from Mars, it's the health care debate. Here's a look at some of the reasons why this debate has gotten so out of control.

Friends
Are We Ourselves?

Michael F Steger Ph.D. on August 12, 2009

Our bodies apparently have 10-20 times as many foreign, microbial cells in them as they have human cells, and research increasingly focuses on our colonization by these critters as a factor in our health.  Are we simply Microbe Motels?

Our bodies apparently have 10-20 times as many foreign, microbial cells in them as they have human cells, and research increasingly focuses on our colonization by these critters as a factor in our health.  Are we simply Microbe Motels?

Happiness
Living Longer. And Better.

Michael F Steger Ph.D. on August 5, 2009

We tend to focus more on living long than on living well. Why can't we do both?

We tend to focus more on living long than on living well. Why can't we do both?

Fear
Sucker-phobia: The fear of being taken

Michael F Steger Ph.D. on June 13, 2009

A recent report suggested that we prefer confident rather than diffident experts...even when the confident ones are wrong. There are two kinds of experts: the folks who are very, very confident about what they know - and the folks who are very, very aware of the limits of what they know.

A football running back is a confident expert - hit the hole, hit it fast, hit it hard. (Even the Minnesita Vikings recognize this!) Running back-style experts say things like - DRINK TWO GLASSES OF RED WINE A DAY!!!!!

A scientist is usually a tentative expert - see the data, see the limits in the data, present the highly qualified possibilities of what the data might mean if we can get more data that look a lot like the data we just reported.

Can we get people to listen to the second kind?

A recent report suggested that we prefer confident rather than diffident experts...even when the confident ones are wrong. There are two kinds of experts: the folks who are very, very confident about what they know - and the folks who are very, very aware of the limits of what they know.

A football running back is a confident expert - hit the hole, hit it fast, hit it hard. (Even the Minnesita Vikings recognize this!) Running back-style experts say things like - DRINK TWO GLASSES OF RED WINE A DAY!!!!!

A scientist is usually a tentative expert - see the data, see the limits in the data, present the highly qualified possibilities of what the data might mean if we can get more data that look a lot like the data we just reported.

Can we get people to listen to the second kind?

Dreaming
Meaningful Work

Michael F Steger Ph.D. on June 9, 2009

A famous story relates the following encounter:

Three men are found smashing boulders with iron hammers. When asked what they are doing, the first man says, "Breaking big rocks into little rocks." The second man says, "Feeding my family." The third man says, "Building a cathedral."

To many of us who study and consult in occupational and organizational contexts, we would call what this third man does meaningful work.

A famous story relates the following encounter:

Three men are found smashing boulders with iron hammers. When asked what they are doing, the first man says, "Breaking big rocks into little rocks." The second man says, "Feeding my family." The third man says, "Building a cathedral."

To many of us who study and consult in occupational and organizational contexts, we would call what this third man does meaningful work.